It’s far from surprising, but the trend at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2014) is packing as many pixels as possible into the devices we love. TVs, tablets, monitors, you name it and it is getting a higher resolution screen. That’s great to see in a showroom, but if the prices are astronomically high the average consumer is left wanting what they can’t have. Luckily for us, that’s all changed this week. Let’s take a look at some of the most affordable, pixel-tastic items announced at CES 2014.

TV

Vizio has long been known as one of the most popular TV manufacturers in the world. By offering solid products for very affordable prices, they have reached consumers far and wide. But even followers of the TV industry had to be surprised when they announced the P502ui-B1 50″ 4K TV for only $999. Sure, the average consumer might not want to plunk down that kind of cash for a television, but just last year we were seeing similarly sized 4K TVs going for several thousand dollars. Not to mention many 50″ 1080P TVs on the market today command a similar price. All of this means that buying a 4K TV is now realistic for more than just the ultra rich. With companies like Netflix promising to roll out more 4K content this year, Ultra High Definition Television is about to take off.

Monitors

When Apple released the Mac Pro late last month, buyers had the option to purchase the Dell Sharp PN-K321 32″ monitor for $3,595. Depending on which Mac Pro model you chose, the monitor could be more expensive than the computer itself. Fast forward a month to CES 2014 and we seem to now have three 4K monitor options whose prices are much more palatable:

First is the Dell P2815Q. It is the least expensive of the bunch at only $699. For that price you get a 28 inch, 3840 X 2160 resolution screen. The downside is that at full 4K resolution you will only get a 30HZ refresh rate. That means gamers will want to steer clear of this since most are used to 60HZ or 120HZ on their 1080P screens. Still, it’s hard to say that this monitor isn’t a good deal for everyone else based on its price and January 23rd availability.

Then there are the Lenovo ThinkVision Pro2840M and Asus PB287Q. Both are priced at $799 but have been confirmed to have a refresh rate of 60HZ at 4K resolution. Both seem like great options for anyone that has been thinking of making the move to a 4K display. The Lenovo will start shipping in April while Asus says that the PB287Q will be available sometime in the 2nd quarter of this year.

It’s very promising to see that companies are pushing out competitive 4K products this year. Many, including myself, had thought we were still a few years away from these kind of prices on Ultra HD displays. The more affordable they are, the more people will buy them. The more people that buy them the faster we will get content that can take advantage of full 4K resolution. It’s definitely a win-win for consumers.

Clearly I can’t wait to see some of these products in person, but what about you? Are you excited about 4K EVERYTHING or will you be sticking with your 1080P screens for the foreseeable future? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!